Turn On A Dime Dan = II

Yesterday's column was an exercise in panic and comparisons to previous epic Red Sox playoff collapses. After last night's single win, everything's back to normal in Shankville. We're good, right?

Feel better now?

Josh Beckett came back to the rotation last night and pitched six strong innings. Daniel Bard got back on the horse and struck out the side in the eighth. Mike Aviles tore a hole in the Sports Authority sign with a game-winning homer and the Red Sox stopped the bleeding with a 4-3 victory over the surging Rays.

In the race for the American League wild card, the Sox hold a four-game lead with 12 to play - seven against the Baltimore Zer-O’s.

So there. Terry Francona is not Don Zimmer. Kevin Youkilis is not Butch Hobson. Jacoby Ellsbury is not Fred Lynn, and Don Orsillo is not Ned Martin.

We are not in the Way Back Machine. It is not 1978.

Except that Shank's Friday column did everything possible to convince you this was indeed 1978 redux. Today's column? Bring on the Yankees!

If I was a cynical type, I'd say Shank writes diametrically opposed columns like this just to stir the pot. Either that, or he's bipolar...